So You Think You Can Rate a TV Show?
is a PTC column which closely compares the content of an individual program with the rating that episode received. Because the V-Chip and other blocking technologies depend upon TV’s program ratings – ratings assigned by the networks themselves –
to block offensive shows, if the rating does not reflect the program’s true content much
objectionable
content will
slip through and may be seen by children, even if the V-Chip is properly programmed and used. This column documents blatant instances of program mis-rating by the TV networks.

After luring viewers with a supposedly harmless premise, complete with a host
who has a proven record of family-friendly programming, NBC pulls the rug out
from under viewers with foul language, sexual content and incorrect ratings.

This episode only received a
TV-PG DV rating which implies moderate violence (V) but
included a
graphic and animalistic attack committed by children, on children and concluded
with one child shooting others.

The episode of Family Guy was rated TV14 D V L, contained a significant amount of sexual dialogue
and several sexual depictions, yet failed to carry an S-descriptor indicating
sexual content – an indicator which would enable parents to block sexually
explicit material from entering their homes.

A rating of TV-PG DL suggests that parents might not want to their young
children to be exposed to some bad language and sexual dialogue,
but ABC seems to believe that children are mature enough to handle the themes of
adultery and promiscuity, as well as the depictions of semi-nude women, that
dominated this episode.

Most people would reasonably assume that a television program rated TV- PG DL
does not contain sexual content, certainly not protracted jokes about
pornography and sexual harassment. But most people would be wrong – at least,
according to the ABC network.

This episode of Bones was rated TV14 DL. No V descriptor indicating
violent content was present in the show’s rating, despite the fact that the
episode contained several gruesome depictions of a department store Santa Claus
brutally murdered and left to rot in a sewer.

The November 18th episode of Fox’s vile American Dad, featured multiple “humorous” references to child molestation, as well as other
sexual innuendo. Yet the rating did not include “sex”
or “suggestive dialogue” descriptors.

The rating descriptors V, L, and D paired with a TV-PG rating suggest that this
episode includes moderate violence
(V) infrequent coarse language (L), and some suggestive dialogue (D). But the
content in this episode was anything but moderate.

Parents Television Council,
www.parentstv.org, PTC,
Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The
nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting
children against sex, violence and profanity in
entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval,
and Family Guide to Prime Time Television
are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.